|
|
 Expert
Posts: 1631
   
Location: Somewhere around here | Besides lunging and trotting over poles, what are some exercises I can do to build up my horses topline more? I heard that draw reins might help but I wasn't too sure if that was true. |
|
| |
|
 Own It and Move On
Location: The edge of no where | Lunging & trotting over poles isn't going to help unless your horse is framed up while working. Draw reins can be used to help teach a horse to travel in a frame, but should be used with someone supervising that's familiar with them the first few times. Some horses will wig out when you first put them on. Teaching one to travel in a frame, hind end up under them, back rounded will help with topline. I ask them to extend the trot down the long ends of the arena and shorten step on the short ends. It will take a while for them to build up enough muscle to maintain this frame. If I use draw reins, I always use another set of reins with them and hook them to the cinch d's on the side of my saddle. It's not about pulling their face down. |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 889
| MS2011 - 2016-06-28 8:09 AM
Lunging & trotting over poles isn't going to help unless your horse is framed up while working. Draw reins can be used to help teach a horse to travel in a frame, but should be used with someone supervising that's familiar with them the first few times. Some horses will wig out when you first put them on. Teaching one to travel in a frame, hind end up under them, back rounded will help with topline. I ask them to extend the trot down the long ends of the arena and shorten step on the short ends. It will take a while for them to build up enough muscle to maintain this frame. If I use draw reins, I always use another set of reins with them and hook them to the cinch d's on the side of my saddle. It's not about pulling their face down.
I agree. You can get yourself in a hell of a mess with draw reins if you don't know what you are doing. |
|
| |
|
 Expert
Posts: 2013
Location: Piedmont, OK | backing up hills or inclines is something I do to help our older horses with topline |
|
| |
|
 Elite Veteran
Posts: 999
Location: Sunny So Cal | Do lots of transitions when you ride, lengthing and shortening. Keep light contact on the horses face throughout the process. This will help to get them in a natural frame therefore they will use their back and butt. Horses can cheat in draw reins by just curling their neck. You want to push them into the bit, not pull them into it. |
|
| |
|
Own It and Move On
Location: The edge of no where | Cowgirl Kat - 2016-06-28 11:44 AM Do lots of transitions when you ride, lengthing and shortening. Keep light contact on the horses face throughout the process. This will help to get them in a natural frame therefore they will use their back and butt. Horses can cheat in draw reins by just curling their neck. You want to push them into the bit, not pull them into it. Exactly! Push them up into your hand (very light hands). Use your calves to create forward impulsion. You should be able to feel them lengthen their stride and step way up under themselves. A ring snaffle is usually a good place to start when doing this. It's WORK if you do it right.
Edited by MS2011 2016-06-28 11:52 AM
|
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1531
Location: Oklahoma | I had two with poor toplines but lots muscles in hind and tight bellies, did not get anywhere until I switched to higher fat content feed. Also the hay is grass so low protein . I do lots hill work, log work , they swim in pond several x's a day on their own as well as most of the pasture is different terrain. I was free lunging over poles too. Several yrs and got nowhere but they looked racehorse fit. Both these horses are light faced, go in very light bits, floaty movers frame naturally. I grew up w reiners , wp /all around and had several yrs classical English training so I ride off the leg n seat into hands wo thinking.
Edited by Remuda 2016-06-28 11:58 AM
|
|
| |
|
Married to a Louie Lover
Posts: 3303
| A good feeding program is the start.
I do a lot of pasture riding long trotting them up into the bridle.
I prefer a German Martingale over draw reins, as long as you have someone to help you set it up right the first time I think the are more user friendly, especially if you aren't good at/familiar with riding with double reins since IMO you should always ride draw reins with a direct rein, but that's the English upbringing in me.
|
|
| |
|
 Shelter Dog Lover
Posts: 10277
| MS2011 - 2016-06-28 11:51 AM Cowgirl Kat - 2016-06-28 11:44 AM Do lots of transitions when you ride, lengthing and shortening. Keep light contact on the horses face throughout the process. This will help to get them in a natural frame therefore they will use their back and butt. Horses can cheat in draw reins by just curling their neck. You want to push them into the bit, not pull them into it. Exactly! Push them up into your hand (very light hands). Use your calves to create forward impulsion. You should be able to feel them lengthen their stride and step way up under themselves. A ring snaffle is usually a good place to start when doing this. It's WORK if you do it right.
Just got back from a lesson working in this. Left my horse there to be sure it was done right. |
|
| |
|
Elite Veteran
Posts: 788
| OhMax - 2016-06-28 12:06 PM
A good feeding program is the start.
I do a lot of pasture riding long trotting them up into the bridle.
I prefer a German Martingale over draw reins, as long as you have someone to help you set it up right the first time I think the are more user friendly, especially if you aren't good at/familiar with riding with double reins since IMO you should always ride draw reins with a direct rein, but that's the English upbringing in me.
Agreed! German Martingale is way easier and once the horse gets to the right spot (wherever you set it) it quits pulling. To me it teaches them a more correct headset rather than simply always pulling down. |
|
| |
|
 Brains Behind the Operation...
Posts: 4543
Location: Arizona | Everyone has given great tips. I also prefer a German martingale if you need/want a tool to help with headset. Also agree with addressing any diet issues; don't underestimate the power of protein! It's worth checking your saddle fit as well; many horses need a shim of some sort until they've built up proper top line muscles. Under saddle, keep in mind that lateral flexion is a huge key to getting vertical flexion and collection. Work on getting your horse soft and flexible side to side, and often proper head/body position (and a better topline) will follow naturally. You can also do belly lifts as a way to exercise those top line muscles on the ground. |
|
| |
|
 Crazy Doggy Mommy
Posts: 1419
Location: Where Governor's make the liscense plates | Do tummy lifts and butt tucks while grooming before and after every ride. It has built my high withered guys back up substantially! The chiropractor is so happy and he's less sore |
|
| |
|
Expert
Posts: 1561
Location: North of where I want to be | I know as barrel racers this is not an exercise we do often, but I came from the dressage world......turn on the forehand done correctly helps built abdominal muscle to support the topline. Also builds and stretches all the muscles that allow the horse to reach across and under their body while driving forward thru turns.
|
|
| |
|
Red Bull Agressive
Posts: 5981
Location: North Dakota | First thing, if you are not sure how to teach a horse to round their topline and collect, invest in some dressage lessons! They will be money well spent. As they gain strength, the idea is to pretty much never allow them to travel in a hollow outline again but it does take a lot of time and work to get to that point. For specific exercises, I like to lunge in vienna reins and over cavaletti's (just not at the same time). Under saddle: plenty of hill work, cavaletti's, lateral work (turn on forehand, haunches, side pass, shoulder in/out, haunches in/out), long and low stretches, lots of correct trot-canter-trot transitions. I always do back lifts when I'm grooming my horse as well. |
|
| |
|
 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 494
| Ride in training forks or draw reins. Makes a big difference |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 509
| I changed the way i fed alfalfa cubes equipride ant triple clean oats hay and pasture, treated for ulcers with omeprazole, then u7, took my horse to a podiatrist and changed his shoeing my horse is totally different, i used to post about his heaviness, i have him back in an o ring !!! Keep searching and always looking to learn and improve i do back on an incline collected too |
|
| |
|
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 509
| I changed the way i fed alfalfa cubes equipride ant triple clean oats hay and pasture, treated for ulcers with omeprazole, then u7, took my horse to a podiatrist and changed his shoeing my horse is totally different, i used to post about his heaviness, i have him back in an o ring !!! Keep searching and always looking to learn and improve i do back on an incline collected too |
|
| |
Folks on-line